"Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II" preview: Title shot on line in rematch

It’s a rematch 10 years in the making, but it’s not like Dan Henderson (25-8 MMA, 0-1 SF) and Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8 MMA, 2-1 SF) were clamoring to meet again.

The two look nothing like the young lions who met in the finals of RINGS’ 1999 “King of Kings” tournament in Japan. There’s no particular animosity to draw from. And they’ve been up and down the ladder too many times.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t stoke an old flame for a future title shot.

“Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II” takes place Saturday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and airs live on Showtime (10 p.m. ET/PT).

Currently at the top of Strikeforce’s ladder lies Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, who upset favorite Muhammed “King” Mo to take the promotion’s light-heavyweight strap. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said Cavalcante waits for the winner of Saturday’s bout.

Henderson, for one, could use one last belt before he rides off into the sunset. Although he claims that retirement is not a nagging concern at age 40, the bad taste left from his most recent bout is still there. The former two-title PRIDE champion left the UFC in a wash of publicity for the San Jose, Calif.-based Strikeforce and went straight for the middleweight belt when he took on then-champion Jake Shields before CBS cameras at “Strikeforce: Nashville.” It was a chance for the veteran to prove his value and send the restless Shields packing with a loss.

Instead, Henderson gassed after putting Shields down in the first round and gradually ceded the fight to an onslaught of persistent grappling from the Cesar Gracie black belt.

Henderson said he encountered problems when he took pain medication for his back that prevented him from cutting weight. Desperate, he cut most of the bulk last-minute and shed 19 pounds before the fight. That robbed him of the fuel needed to turn up the pressure in later rounds, a big difference from his usual conditioning.

“I just didn’t have the energy I should have had,” he said.

He won’t have that problem Saturday when he meets Sobral, whom he decisioned in RINGS before making a big career leap by signing with PRIDE. Henderson often has stated he likes to fight at a heavier weight to avoid the situation he ran into against Shields. He’s had eight months to add pounds and work on his conditioning, so there won’t be any huge concerns about his gastank provided no other injuries are affecting him.

“I am going to be ready to go, and conditioning should be all there,” he said. “There is no reason in my mind why I should lose. I feel like I am as good as a grappler as ‘Babalu,’ and I feel like I am a lot more dangerous on my feet.”

That danger, of course, comes from his right hand, which has rung more bells than a clock tower. As he often does with submission artists, Henderson likely plans to keep Sobral on his feet for punishment. It doesn’t matter if he has to take a few punches on the way in.

That’s exactly where Sobral’s challenge lies. Given the Brazilian’s dazzling speed in his most recent performance, a victory over the heavy-hitting Robbie Lawler, it’s not hard to imagine he’ll play a hit-and-run game mixed with takedowns. That’s exactly how he kept Lawler from landing heavy blows when the two closed distance. Although Lawler stuffed most of his takedowns, he dictated the pace of the fight. That will come in handy when he’s dealing with a stalking opponent such as Henderson.

Sobral also is looking for revenge in the title department. He saw his Strikeforce light-heavyweight title unceremoniously ripped from his hands in August 2009 by Gegard Mousasi – his management contends personal problems left him in no state of mind to fight – and now that his training partner Lawal doesn’t have the belt, he’s free to pursue gold redemption.

“Everybody wants to be a world champion, and everybody wants the title,” Sobral said. “I’ll fight anybody that brings me closer to that.”

Both fighters are not keen on using their first fight to determine the outcome of Saturday’s headliner, and that’s a good thing. The first meeting was often a plodding grappling match between two guys who knew just enough to stymie each other for most of the fight. Henderson hasn’t even taken a look at it.

“You can’t take anything from the first fight with ‘Babalu,'” Henderson said. “I’ve never even looked at a tape.”

There’s no point; they are better versions of themselves.

Robbie Lawler and Matt Lindland badly in need of win

If it’s not do-or-die time for Robbie Lawler (19-6 MMA, 1-2 SF) and Matt Lindland (22-7 MMA, 1-1 SF), it’s getting close to it. Since signing with Strikeforce, Lawler is 1-2 in the promotion with losses to Shields and Sobral. In his sole win for the promotion, he got battered by Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef before pulling out the come-from-behind KO win. He’s looked slow on his feet and hesitant to be the guy that strikes first.

Lindland, meanwhile, has a 2-3 record in the most recent three years of his combat study. Most recently, he took out the unheradled Kevin Casey by TKO in May and has sat on the shelf since. He’s still the matchup that few want to get since he’s a phenomenal wrestler who smothers you in the clinch. But lately, he’s looked very beatable, particularly against those who quickly transition range. Renaldo “Jacare” Souza outgrappled him and did it very quickly, and Vitor Belfort laid him out cold at “Affliction: Reckoning.”

Lindland should be able to see Lawler’s punches coming in and close distance for a clinch. From there, it should be easy for him to get the takedown. If Lawler ends up on the bottom, which it’s assured he will at some point during the night, it’s going to be a long night for him. He has to stay on his feet and get out of the way when Lindland charges. When that happens, there might be an opening for a big punch.

It’s Smith’s debut as a welterweight, and though he’s dreaded the weight cut after a career at 185 pounds, there’s little that will change about his approach to knocking out opponents. It’s a little bit better matchup for him in the sense that Daley is a more conventional striker than his most recent foe, Cung Le, with whom he traded wins in a pair of bouts. But Smith still needs to worry about Daley’s power, particularly a left hook that’s put many opponents to sleep.

Daley, of course, is getting back to the major leagues after he was booted from the UFC for suckerpunching Josh Koscheck after the bell at UFC 113. Since his octagon exit, Daley has rebounded somewhat with consecutive wins over Daniel Acacio and Trevor Prangley in regional promotions. But it remains to be seen how he’ll do against a striker of comparable skill.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.